Letters Extra February 9: Plans for National Grid cable across Wirral

Feb 9 2011 Birkenhead News

I DON’T like the sound of this.

The disruption is going to be immense .... and what do we in Wirral get out of it? Nowt I bet.

Why cannot the cable remain submerged and sunk across the seabed or below, giving less disruption to the area?

Why is it not being run into North Wales direct?

The power is for them and it looks like it’s coming across the sea from the Lakes!

Wirral is fast becoming a humiliation target.

Are we sure it won’t interfere with the rogue cocklers along the foreshore?

We wouldn’t want them to dip out now, would we!

And while we are at it, let’s not protect our green flag beaches any more, shall we.

Oh and I assume the trains will be off for some time as well, and I don’t think that’s planned in yet either!

William (full name supplied)

Moreton

AS THE proposed electricity cable is coming 225 miles from Scotland under the sea, I am at a loss to understand why it cannot stay there all the way to Connahs Quay.

To divert it down the middle of Wirral for the last 25 miles not only seems to be completely unnecessary but a total waste of money.

Perhaps the planners haven’t noticed that Connahs Quay is at the water’s edge?

Terry Stacey

Via email

IT REMINDS me of the days gone by when steam trains, motor cars etc. were introduced to the then members of the public.

The outcry was then as it appears now over the proposed cable.

Our country needs electricity wherever it comes from and the cable required will have to be well buried and hidden from view when it is placed in the area of the Wirral supplying the much-needed energy.

Our country will require much more electrical power for the ever-growing population as it is now , and will be in the future.

Dr George Nieman

Via email

IF THE cable is to be laid along the Irish sea for 340 kilometres, and we are to assume that this is a cost effective thing to do rather than string it down the M6 for example, why don’t the engineers continue with this skilful piece of engineering and lay the cable up the Dee Estuary for the last 40 km of the run?

It must be fairly easy to run the cable in shallow estuarial water or even bury it in the marshland.

The point being that nobody’s land, accommodation or indeed highways would be disrupted.

If it’s underwater for most of its run why bother to bring it ashore 40km short when the estuary takes it to its destination? Sorry if this sounds like common sense.

PS: Whatever happened to the already existing National Grid?

M Keeley

Via email

PROPOSALS by National Grid to lay an underground cable across Wirral raise a number of concerns.

While the UK strives to ensure a “Green” energy supply for the future, we do need to ensure continuity of supply and of course to get that energy from its source to centres of population via the National Grid.

Should the end result be a power line laid across Wirral, not yet proven, then this needs to be planned to keep the disruption to an absolute minimum.

This is particularly significant in my ward of Pensby and Thingwall which is home to working farms in Landican and Barnston which will be affected by the proposed route of the cable.

These farms play their part in the UK food chain and it is vital that their working is not disrupted.

National Power must plan the route so that farmland is not dissected unduly, causing farmers difficulties in accessing large tracts of land for long periods of time.

These fields may look green and peaceful for much of the time but their significance should not be overlooked.

Don McCubbin

Conservative councillor, Pensby & Thingwall Ward

I HAVE just been reading about the cable coming down from Scotland to Connahs Quay.

It will be a good idea but after laying 370km in the Irish sea why oh why does it have to come the last 25 overland?

Alan Emery

Bromborough